It is evident there are still a lot of ways to bring VR to the masses. Most consumers are still not too keen on buying a VR headset. After all, this technology is mainly designed for gamers and geeks, rather than the average person on the street. Samsung is trying to add some “bling” to this idea, as their HMD Odyssey is certainly something different. It looks very sci-fi, it feels expensive, and it just looks a lot more “high-tech” compared to any other VR headset in existence today.
The HMD Odyssey is a Thing to Behold
When first looking at Samsung’s HMD Odyssey, it becomes rather evident this is not a toy by any means. Everything about this VR headset screams professionalism and a very steep price tag. With a weight of 1.4 pounds, it is not the lightest headset by any means. The built-in headphones and microphone certainly are a bonus, although they may not necessarily entice enough people either.Although it is difficult to make VR headsets look even remotely sexy, Samsung has made some positive design choices in this regard.
While heavy-duty VR headsets may not be to everyone’s liking, there are a lot of things to appreciate. From an immersion point of view, it seems the HMD Odyssey will make all other headsets look like toys. At the same time, the robust design can also be considered to be rather clunky, which may annoy a fair few people in the process. Rest assured this is not something people will wear in public spaces anytime soon, although the jury is still out on that front.
For the people who want something visually pleasing, Samsung’s HMD Odyssey will be a big disappointment. There is nothing beautiful about VR headsets in general, nor will there be for quite some time to come. The added weight of this unit may also cause a lot of neck issues for players who like extended playthroughs of VR games. After all, 1.4 pounds of weight pulling on your face at all times is not necessarily fun unless you are properly trained for it.
At the same time, this new headset is more than capable of providing better graphics and better audio than most other combinations out there. Its resolution of 1440 by 1600 pixels at 90Hz is absolutely stunning. It helps immerse players even more and it simply makes everything look a lot crisper. Considering how the HMD Odyssey is a Windows Mixed Reality Headset, it certainly showcases the future of both VR and AR. That doesn’t mean it will be a major success, though, as the $499 price tag is still rather steep.
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